


Flares

by rey_exe



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Multi, Slow Burn Romance, mad max influences
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-29 21:17:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10862268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rey_exe/pseuds/rey_exe
Summary: A test subject of the Niflheim empire, you escape their clutches with a handful of young women in tow, racing towards Insomnia in search of a better life only to discover it in cinders. With magitek on your tail, you fear there is nowhere left in Eos for you to hide, when you stumble across the men that would bring peace and light to the nation once more.





	Flares

**Author's Note:**

> Sandy Cheeks voice: WELL HOWDYYYYY.  
> Me @ myself: don't post this at midnight when you're half asleep  
> also me: posts this shit at midnight when I'm half asleep. I'd like to apologize in advance for everything.  
> This is my first ever reader insert fic so please bear with me as I try to figure my shit out tbh. Beginnings and introductions are always weird and awkward I had to fight so hard not to just put their damn names in 'cause I'm running out of synonyms for 'men' and 'strangers' you feel me? ANYWAY I've wanted to cram my love of Mad Max: Fury Road into a fic for the longest time, and FFXV finally presented me with the opportunity.  
> BUCKLE THE FUCK UP KIDDOS, ITS GONNA BE A WILD RIDE FROM START TO FINISH.

 

The fire's out but still it burns  
And no one cares, there's no one there

* * *

 

Your foot collides with the side of the truck, sending sharp shooting pain through your toes as you let out a cry of frustration. You’d broken down in the middle of scenic nowhere, utterly exposed out in the open. A giant piece of Niflheim machinery in Lucian territory would raise questions and incite investigations from BOTH parties, neither of which boded well for you or your party ( currently huddled in the depths of the stolen vehicle ) It set the hair on the back of your neck on end, as if thousands of eyes had been fixated on you since you had fled your captors.

 

For weeks you had traveled cross country, following desolate winding roads, through ghost towns to reach your destination, and for what? To break down right at Insomnia’s doorstep? It was laughably unfair, and indeed a harsh bark escapes your lips as you limp around to check the smoking engine once more. It had been _too_ easy, gone _too_ smoothly. It was only a matter of time before something awful occurred. Lo and behold, the moment had arrived.

 

You knew little about automotives, confined with your sister and a handful of others in labs where you were prodded and injected and drawn from like animals. It was a miracle you had gotten as far as you had, relying on half forgotten memories for information. Smoke, however, you knew for certain was never a good thing. Nor was the odd spark that flickered through the white plums, or the odd hissing that accompanied it.

 

With no one to ask for assistance, you could only pace furiously beneath the late afternoon sun in fury, swearing under your breath all the while. One of your companions – Valora – had poked her head around the side of the truck moments earlier, asking in dour tones if you needed any help. She was more qualified than you to be handling any sort of machinery, given that she had been a part of their enemies infantry her whole life. With a sulky shrug shoulders you had stepped aside to allow her room to poke around beneath the hood.

 

“It’s shot.” She called after several seconds, coughing as she was engulfed in fumes. That much seemed obvious, but still, you had hoped you were wrong.

 

You scrub your face with the palm of your hand, turning your gaze from the ruined truck to the impossibly blue horizon. It would be getting dark soon, the bright yellow of the sun was already bleeding into orange. You had learned the hard way not to be caught out in the open at night. Your blood turns to ice at the thought of the monstrous creatures that had materialized out of the shadows. You’d heard their terrible howls in Zegnautus Keep from the cell they had kept you in, ghastly noises that chilled your blood and haunted your nightmares. You had never seen them at  their full capacity until you had fled, until one of them had descended from some void amid flames. With few weapons at hand, facing them was out of the question. You had only slipped away with what you could carry; and with two children in tow, it wasn’t much.

 

“What do we do then?” You call over your shoulder as Valora slams the hood shut with a grunt.

 

“Dunno… I’ll scout ahead and see if anyone can give us a hand.” she told you “If not I’ll steal a car and we continue that way.”

 

You nodded absently, a frown creasing your brow as you watch her haul one of the guns out from beneath the front seat. A jolt of anxiety shoots through your heart as you watch her retreat through the brush. Splitting up in any measure never sat well, regardless how well the pair of you could look after yourselves. You could not look after the others by yourself, nor could she. There was no point stopping her though, her determination was nearly frightening, and she was _right_. You needed help.

 

With a heavy sigh, you plop onto the ground by the front tire, resting your weary head against the rubber. Less than thirty minutes out in the open and you had already begun to burn, the telltale ache settling across your face and neck. Yet another grievance to take up with the Astrals, you think as you dig booted toes into the dirt.

 

Better you than your sister though. The moment your mode of transportation had come to a sputtering halt, you had ordered she and the children into the back of the rig without a second thought. Marina argued long after you had slid the door shut behind her, uncaring that her bellyaching fell on deaf ears. She was _pregnant_ , and far along at that. One of your many motivations to reach the sanctity of Insomnia as soon as possible, fearing the simplest actions might induce labor. After several minutes of peevish muttering, she had quieted and chose instead to keep their two charges occupied and quiet.

 

Six year old Agatha and two year old Levina were the only other captives you had managed to free on your way out. You had overheard of their abduction, so similar to yours how they had been cruelly ripped from their family to be trapped and experimented on. It weighed heavily on you that you could not rescue more from the clutches of the empire, that they were still rotting behind iron bars or twisted into something far worse.

 

You did what you could though with what little time you were granted. That had to count for something, right?

 

A shout sends you tumbling back into reality with a sickening crash, nearly hitting your head on the side view mirror in your haste to get to your feet. Cautiously, you peer over the hood of the car, eyes narrowed through the smoke. Some fifty yards away you could make out a handful of shaded figures ( none of them bearing Valora’s familiar figure, thank the Six )  They appeared to be fighting some strange four-legged animals; lithe ferocious ones you could not recall seeing before.

 

Your heart was still pounding madly in your chest as you waved a hand to clear the smoke. Was that the direction your companion had ventured though? Was she in trouble? You didn’t waste time pondering it, ducking once more behind the car to comb the interior for another stolen gun.

 

Before your fingers manage to close around the grip, you are viciously tugged backward, flung several paces before landing in a graceless heap in the dirt. The force knocks the breath from your lungs, cutting off the cry for help that had formed on your lips as a beast descended on you. Jaws snap inches from your face as you flail helplessly beneath it, razor sharp fangs catch on your palms sending droplets of  blood raining across your face, into your eyes. The thought of your sister coming to your aid intensifies your struggling, unwilling to put her in harm's way should she deem it necessary to step in and rescue you.

 

You roll to your left, trying to catch the animal unawares, and you think it works for a second.  You have the upper hand as you fight to keep all appendages out of its drooling mouth. The severity of the cuts you were receiving didn’t bode well. Potions were the only thing you had run out of almost instantly en route out of Gralea, leaving the girls no choice but to avoid confrontation at all cost.

 

The creature refused to let up, snarling and clawing at your exposed arms, determined to make a meal out of you. It seems to relish the taste of your blood, whetting its appetite as is beared down harder. Droplets of sweat had broken out across your forehead and a cry of pain escape your lips as teeth hit bone. You couldn’t keep this up, you weren’t strong enough. Pure adrenaline had gotten you this far but you were fading fast as more and more blood was sapped from your veins.

 

Just as your arms were about to give, a roar met your ears and the animals eyes went wide. You could only stare as keened in agony before it collapsed on top of you, dead. In the midst of your struggle, you hadn’t heard the heavy footfalls bounding towards you, nor had you see the glimmer of steel as the great sword cut through air and beast. You don’t have time puzzle over the swiftness of the actions for long, groaning as the full weight of the beast begins to crush you ( like it hadn’t been heavy enough while it was still breathing )

“Hey, you still alive?” Peeking past tufts of fur, you can see a veritable GIANT towering above you, bending down to haul the corpse from your prone form. Dazed and winded, his words incite a frown as you glance up at him – nearly cricking your neck in the process –  as you heave yourself into a sitting position. Were you alive? Did it matter?

 

“Yeah, ‘m fine.” Your voice is gruff and laden with suspicion, wincing as you attempt to shrug your shoulders. Yeah, THAT felt dislocated.

 

Amber eyes are critical as they take in your gory, disheveled appearance, giving a snort of disdain at your blatant lie. Still, he backs off as you clamber to your feet, grinding your teeth as your hands make contact with the earth. They’re trembling horribly, and you can only pray that there was no lasting nerve damage. How had things fallen apart so fast?

 

“Good, now you can tell me what your business is in Lucis.” And just like that, his broadsword is pointed in your face, leaving you as helpless as you had been moments before.

 

You gape at him like a fish out of water, momentarily offended before realizing you were clad in military fatigues and standing beside a vehicle of their sworn enemies. He has every right to be suspicious of you, you try to reason with yourself, despite your growing trepidation and ire.

 

“I’m not one of them.” You say quickly, raising crimson stained hands in a gesture of peace “I stole one of their rigs so I could get home and I got stuck.”

 

“ _Huh_.” He rumbles in reply, disbelief clear in his voice and his body language. Still, he lowers his weapon and wordlessly reaches into a pocket to produce a potion for you “You’re either the worst soldier in the infantry or you’re actually telling the truth.”  he snorts before looking over his shoulder.

“That’s the last of ‘em!”  His voice is so loud and deep you nearly levitate off the ground a few inches in alarm.

 

Narrowing your eyes, you carefully work the bottle open with your teeth and allow the magic inside to do its work, sighing as the deepest cuts begin to mend. Split, red skin gives way to pink and white scars. In a week or so they’d be just like new, or so you hoped. Feeling slowly begins to return to benumbed digits, which you flex experimentally. _Stiff_ , but at they should be fine in the long run. At least you still had hands to heal. A chill races down your spine at what a close call this experience had been. You couldn’t imagine losing one, or both of your hands.

 

You look up again as dead grass crunches under boots, eying the three men that padded around the truck towards you. In spite of your pain, you are instantly on guard, feet planted firmly and bloody fists clenched. You had no plan of action, no possible way to escape should these men decide you were a threat, but you’d be damned if you didn’t put up a fight.

 

“What the hell are you doin’ out here anyway? ‘Roads a good mile and a half east.” The strangers tone is accusatory and makes your hackles rise as you look up at him in annoyance. It wasn’t like you had asked to be attacked, if anything he and his friends had practically lead the monsters to you.

 

“What are YOU doing out here?” You bite back as the trio comes within earshot, taking a cautious step backwards the nearer they draw.

 

“Hunting.” That comes from a man with soft black hair and an even voice. He meets your glare steadily, arms crossed over his chest. You wanted to snarl at them all for staring at you so. Anything to wipe away the mistrust that emanated from them in waves. In their faces you saw the same disgust harbored in that of the Gralean doctors and scientists. They all looked down their noses at you like you were some lesser thing; unworthy of their attention.

 

“Yeah! Sorry you got caught in the crossfire there.” Well, maybe not ALL of them. The peppy blonde seemed far more curious than hostile. You might even detect a small trace of concern in those electric eyes as they spy the streaks of blood that mar your clothing. It was probably the most genuine thing anyone had said to you since you were a girl...

 

“Is there a problem here?” The tension is momentarily broken as Valora’s voice cuts through the air like a knife. Five pairs of eyes flick round to stare as the brunette trudges forward, gun raised  and expression wary.

 

“I don’t know, is there?” The raven haired man replied again. To you he seemed to bristle like a porcupine, quills ready to launch at the slightest hint of danger, the way spiked locks fluttered in the breeze it was almost humorous. Regardless the menacing vibe he attempted to drive in her direction, Valora remained impassive as she moved to stand protectively in front of you.

 

“Nah, we took care of the trouble, see!” Pipped up the perky blonde again, the toe of his shoe prodding the dead monster that lay forgotten beside them. He looks almost nervous as he turns to face his friends, shifting from foot to foot “They don’t look like anything ‘ol Aldercapt has sent our way so far. They aren’t daemons or magitek. ”

 

“Indeed.” The bespectacled man intones thoughtfully as he looks between you and Valora. You’d nearly forgotten his was there, overshadowed by his louder companions as he silently assessed the situation “That doesn’t mean they are not a threat. But perhaps we might give them the benefit of the doubt?”

 

You weren’t quite as ready to be so obliging. They could easily be the type of bounty hunter that would ship them back to the empire for whatever gil they could scrounge. Your own misgivings surpassed theirs thrice over for all the abuse you had suffered. It should not be _you_ convincing them of your integrity, but vice versa.

 

“Look, we don’t have time for this. If there’s a problem just fuck off, alright? You don’t bother us, we won’t bother you.” It comes out harsher than you intended and blondie takes a small step back, hurt flashing across freckled features. If you hadn’t felt backed into a corner, you might have felt bad for snapping at him so, especially when he had just defended you.

 

“Woah, hold your chocobos.” The mountainous man groused, blocking your path with his weapon as you make to stride back towards the truck. “You said you got stuck. If you’re not some Imperial scumbag, we’ll help you out, alright?”

 

“Do I look like a goddamn robot?!” It echoes around the clearing and you wince, running the back of your hand over your eyes. You might have said more, might have taken a few seconds to calmly explain your situation had your blonde defender not turned white as a sheet as he glanced behind you.

 

“Speak of the devil and he shall appear...” The man in glasses all but growls as a javelin materializes in his hand. Your blood runs cold as a great shadow appears over the barren earth follow by the hum of engines. The sharp breeze lifts your hair from your shoulders as you turn to face the craft that glides towards you.

 

“ _Shit…_ ” You curse viciously, whirling around to sprint past the quartet, slamming your fist against the side of the rig in cadence “EVERYONE OUT, NOW.”

 

“Wha--??” You don’t bother sparing the baffled men a second glance as you rifled around beneath the front seat to pull out the gun you had been searching for prior. Valora was already behind the vehicle, rolling the metal door open before leaping inside without any preamble.

 

Turning on your heel, you see their eyes flick between the truck, you, and the fast approaching ship in confusion. Valora reappeared with a pack over her shoulder and Levina in her arms, feet hitting the dirt with a heavy thud before turning on her heel to offer a hand to Marina. Your sister’s movements were slow, burdened by her swollen belly as she clambered to the ground with a huff. Agatha crawled out next and was immediately scooped into her arms, squawking and whining in confusion as the two adults turn to you for instruction.

 

The urge to laugh bubbles up in your chest at the utter shock on everyone’s face, adrenaline bordering on hysteria. From the dumbfounded look on the man who had rescued you, to the openmouthed wonder displayed by the blonde. Clearly none of them had expected such a wild turn of events.

 

“What’s going on?” Marina shouted as she caught sight of the newcomers, clutching the child to her chest as though they might attack unprovoked. No one bothers to reply her, not when she glances up seconds later and finds her answer right on top of them. Ashen-faced, she grabs at Valora’s arm as if checking to see that she was still there.

 

“Don’t just stand there, RUN!” You yell desperately as the aircraft’s ramp begins to lower and Magitek troopers descended like flies on rot.

 

“There’s a campground less than a hundred meters from here!” The spectacled man shouted over the roar of the engines. Valora nodded sharply before sparing you a fleeting glance to gage your reaction. It was their best bet and the only option she could perceive. If they stayed they could be captured again,  and that was utterly unacceptable. With a jerk of your head, the women are off, sprinting across the vast plane as fast as their legs would carry them. You watch for a brief moment, anxiety threatening to overwhelm you before the click of armor brought you back to the present.

 

The four strangers had already thrown themselves into the fray, their shouts almost gleeful as they took down each soldier with ease. You had no business in a fight like this. You were a damn lab rat, not a fighter. They wanted your womb and your blood, not  your strength or valor. They had told you as much, conditioned you to believe it until it was ingrained into your brain. You very nearly drop your weapon and trail after the others, but your legs are frozen. Your first step out of  that compound was your greatest act of defiance. You had freed your body from their clutches, it was high time you began to free your mind. You were more than you were conditioned to be.

 

Hands begin to tremble as you point your weapon at the nearest trooper. Narrowing your eyes and gritting your teeth in concentration, you pull the trigger. The first shot misses and you swear as you draw their attention, metal bodies shifting as they stomp towards you. This was good though, wasn’t it? The closer they got the easier they would be to take out. In theory any way. You hadn’t expected so many to converge on you at once, assuming the gentlemen ahead of you had the situation well in hand.

 

 _‘Shit, shit, shit!’_ you’re reloading your weapon as fast as you can, raising it in the nick of time as one of the troopers meets you head on, blasting it away  from you as it raised its sword above its head. Dodging to the right, you narrowly avoid another blade as it sinks into the side of the truck, so deeply embedded in the steel that it makes you feel faint. Another shot and that one too is out for the count, collapsing backwards with a mighty crash.

 

To your dismay though, as you curl your finger around the trigger yet again, you find you are out of ammunition. You curse loudly again, an undignified shriek falling  from your lips as another imperial charges at you. Swinging the gun wildly, you manage to dislodge its helmeted head from its body in one fell swoop. Effective, but not perfect. It continues towards you a few paces, arms outstretched before crumpling at your feet.

 

Before you the men are take down what appears to be the last foe with such gusto you quirk an eyebrow. At least they’re having fun, you supposed.

 

You allow yourself to relax as it too falls to the ground, wiping the sweat from your forehead as you lower the semi useless gun to your side. If you could get them on your side, you might just survive this ordeal. If not, well, you wouldn’t stand a chance against them. This little kerfuffle had made that  fact abundantly clear.

 

“If you guys really wanna help –” You begin as the make their way back to you, cutting yourself off when a sharp pain rips through your abdomen. You gurgle weakly, looking between the men as they let out a holler of surprise, and the blade that pierced straight through your body.

 

So fast had it happened that you barely had enough time to react, dropping to your knees as bright red splashed across the dust. Time seems to slow then, and it takes them years to reach your side, decapitating  the rogue trooper that had slipped up behind you. The sharp clash of metal on metal is suppressed, your vision beginning to blur as you fall onto your side.

 

The darkness that had snapped at your heels all these miles had finally caught up your you, dragging you back into the abyss. You had little choice but to follow, eyes fluttering shut as you were swept away

**Author's Note:**

> Reader and the terrible, horrible, no good, really bad day tbh. We're off to a rocky start but things will get better.... eventually! maybe!  
> Please drop me a comment and let me know what ya think!  
> I made myself a spiffy tumblr sideblog @ tsariitsa for thirst and nerd reasons. I'll be posting this there as well so feel free to hmu!


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